Peeking mechanism



Aug. 28, 1923. 1,466,029

A. W. PETERS FEEDING MECi-IANISM Filed March 22 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Aug. 28, -1 923.

A. w. PETERS FEEDING MECHANISM Filed March 22 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug.28, 1923. 1,466,029

A. W. PETERS FEEDING macnmlsu Filed March 22 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 M AWk Patented Aug. 28, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR W. PETERS, F NEXV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE SURFACE COMBUSTIONCO. INCORPORATED, OF NEN YORK, N. L, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FEEDING IYIECHANISJSI.

Application filed March 22, 1921.

T 0 aZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known, that I, ARTHUR IV. Pnrnns, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York city, in the county of Bronx and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feeding Mechanism,fully described and represented in the following specification and theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to feeding mcchanism which while particularlyadapted to moving articles through a heating furnace may nevertheless beused whenever it is desired to convey an article.

The feeding mechanism comprises two or more relatively reciprocatorylongitudinal members which may for convenience be termed rails. Theoperative surface of each rail is formed to provide a series oi spacedengaging surfaces and a series of rearwardly sloping inclinesalternating with the engaging surfaces. The relative reciprocation ofthe two members is in a direction inclined to the rail and the length ofthe stroke is not less than the distance between successive engagingsurfaces so that the reciprocation causes an article placed upon therails to move forward along the rails.

The feeding mechanism takes the place of a moving conveyor, but is muchsimpler and more economical to construct than such a conveyor and may beoperated with. materially less consumption of power than a movingconveyer. It may be applied to carrying articles through a furnace inwhich so high a temperature is maintained that the use of a movingconveyor is impracticable.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown an embodiment of theinvention, comprising a mechanism for feeding bars or similar articlesthrough a heating fur nace. In the drawings F ig. 1 is a plan view ofthe device, show ing the furnace sectioned upon the line 11 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is side elevation of the device partly sectioned on the line 22of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4i is a fragmentary perspective view showing the rails and a barupon them;

Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are fragmentary Serial No. 454,343.

sectional elevations on the lines 5 of Figs. 1 and 3, showing two of therails. Fig. 5 illustrates the position of these parts at the beginningof the forward stroke of the movable rail; Fig. (3 shows them during theforward stroke; Fig. 7, at the end of the forward stroke; Fig. 8, duringthe rearward stroke; and Fig. 9, at the end of the rearward stroke.

The furnace 10 shown in the drawings may be tunnel-shaped. The detailsof its construction are not material to the present invention. Thefeeding mechanism includes a plurality of rails 11, 11, 12, 13, 13 and14 which extend through the furnace and project through openings at bothends of it. Certain of the rails are adapted to be reciprocatedrelatively to the others. In the device illustrated the rails 11, 12,18, let are fixed while the rails 11' and 13 are movable. The rails aresupported upon transverse beams 15. The fixed rails are secured to oneof the beams 15. The way in which the movable rails are mounted on thebeams 15 is hereinafter described. Those of the beams 15 which arewithin the furnace may be set into the floor of the furnace as indicatedin Fig. 2, while the beams which support the portions of the railsoutside the furnace are mounted upon a frame 16.

The operative surfaces of each of the fixed rails 11, 12, 13, 14 areformed to pro vide a series of engaging surfaces 30, 31, 32 etc. and aseries of rearwardly sloping inclines 40, 41, 42 etc., alternating withthe engaging surfaces. In the form shown in the drawing the engagingsurfaces 30, 31 32, etc., are vertical and at the top of each of theinclines lO, 11, l2 etc., is a short horizontal surface lt), a1 etc.(Fig. 4:).

The operative surface of each of the movable rails 11, 13 is formed toprovide a series of engaging surfaces 31', 32 etc. and a series ofrearwardly sloping inclines 41, 42' etc., alternating with the engagingsurfaces. In the form illustrated in the drawings, the engaging surfaces80 31, 32 are perpendicular to the inclines a0, 41', 42'.

It is, however, not essential to the operation of the device that theengaging surfaces 30, 31, 32 etc. and 30, 31, 32 etc., and the inclines10, 11,42 etc., and 40', 41, 42 etc., have the exact form illustrated.It is sufiicient that the engaging surfaces of each rail be adapted toengage the article to be' moved and to prevent rearward movement of thearticle relative to the rail; that is to say, to prevent the articlefrom moving 'rearwardly when the rail is stationary, or to cause thearticle to move forward with the rail when the rail. is moved. forward.It is suiiicient that the inclines of each rail have a rearward slopepermitting relative rearward movement of the rail with respect to thearticle. Such relative movement may be either a rearward movement of therail when the article is stationary or a forward movement of the articlewhen the rail is stationary, or simultaneous forward movement of thearticle and rearward movement of the rail.

Meansiu'e provided for giving the rails 11, 1.3 a reciproca-torymovement relative to the rails 11, 12, 13, 1 1 in a direction inclinedto the rails. The stroke and direction of this relative reciprocatorymovement such that at, or near, one end of the stroke, the outer edge ofeach engaging surface 31, 32 etc. of one set of rails is in alignmentwith a point between the inner and outer edges of one of the engagingsurfaces 30, 31, 32 etc. of the other set of rails; and that at, ornear, the other end of the stroke, apoint betweenthe inner and outeredges of each engaging surface 30, 31, 32 etc. of the first set of railsis in alignment with the outer edge of the next succeeding engaging surface 31, 32, 33 etc. of the second set of rails.

The relative reciprocatory movement thus defined is adapted to cause astep by step forward movement of an article placed upon the rails ashereinafter described in detail.

It should be noted that the relative reciprocatory movement defined hasa component longitudinal of the rails, the stroke of which is not lessthan the distance between succeed ing engaging surfaces, and a componenttransverse to the rails, the stroke of which is not greater than the sumof the depth of one of the engaging surfaces 30, 31, 32 etc. and, thedepth of one of the engaging surfaces 30, 31. 32 etc. In order to givethe engaging surfaces the greatest possible grip upon the article it ismost desirable that the stroke of the transverse component beapproximately half this sum.

In the form shown in the drawings, successive engagingsurfaces 30, 31,32 etc. and successive engaging surfaces 30, 81', 32 etc. are equallyspaced and of equal depth so that the inclines 10, 41, 4:2 etc. aresubstantially parallel to the inclines 40, 11, 42 etc., and thetransverse component of the stroke of the relative reciprocatory movement is substantially equal to the depth of eaclrengaging surface sothat the direction of the reciprocation is substantially parallel to theinclines. lVhile this arrangement has proved most satisfactory inpractice, the details of this particular arrangement described in thisparagraph are not essential to the operation of the device.

Various different mechanical means may be provided for causing thisreciprocatory movement. The arrangement shown in the drawings forms asimple and satisfactory means for this purpose: In thearrangementillustrated, operating mechanism is provided for giving therails 11, 13 a reciprocatory movement in the direction of their length,and these rails are provided on their lower surfaces with projections 17having inclined surfaces 18 which rest upon inclines 19 formed in thebeams 15 between the rails 11 and 12 and the rails 13 and 14.. Theinclined surfaces 18 and 19 are substantially parallel to the inclines40, 11, 42 and 10', d1, -12 etc., so that when the movable rails aregiven a reciprocatory movement in a longitudinal direction by theoperating mechanism, they slide up the inclines 19 on their forwardstroke and down the inclines 19 on their rearward stroke, which resultsin giving them. a reciprocatory movement in a direction substantiallyparallel to surfaces of the inclines 10, 41, 42 etc. and 40, 11, -12etc.

While any form of operating mechanism adapted to give the rails 11, 13 areciprocatory movement in the direction of their length may be used inconnection with the inclines on which the rails are mounted, theoperating mechanism illustrated has been found a desirable means forgiving the slow reciprocatory movement required for feed ing articlesthrough the furnace. The mechanism includes a motor 20 connected by abelt to a pulley 21 on a worm shaft 22. The worm on the shaft 22 drivesa gear on the worm shaft 23, and the worm on the shaft drives a gear onthe eccentric shaft 24. An eccentric band mounted on an eccentric on theshaft 24: oscillates the lower end of a beam 25 which is pivotallymounted at 26. The upper end of the beam is connected to one end of alink 29, the other end of which is connected to a transverse shaft 27,the outer ends of which are mounted in fittings 28 attached one to eachof the rails 1.1, 13. The length of the stroke of reciprocation given tothe rails by the operating mechanism is slightly greater than thedistance between successive engaging surfaces 30. 31. 32, so, 31', 32'.

In the use of the device described, the bars to be fed through thefurnace are placed upon the rails at their rear end, that is, the lefthand end, in Figs. 1 and 2. The reciprocation of the rails 11', 13causes each bar to travel forward into the furnace 10 through thefurnace and out at the opposite end of the furnace.

The operation of the feeding mechanism may best be understood from Figs.4 to 9.

The bar A to be fed through the furnace extends across all six of therails as indicated in Fig. 4:. While the provision of a plurality ofmoving rails and of fixed rails has the advantage of moving both ends ofthe bar evenly the operation of the device may best be explained byconsidering only one fixed rail and one moving rail, as, for example,the rails lland 11 shown in Figs. 5 to 9. At the beginning of theforward stroke of the rail 11 the bar A rests upon the incline 40 andagainst the engaging surface 30 of the rail 11 (Fig. 5). As the rail 11moves forward and upward in a direction parallel to the inclines 40',4:1 etc. its engaging surface 30 pushes the bar A up the incline 4C0 ofthe rail 11 as shown in Fig. 6. The forward and upward movement of therail 11 continues until the engaging surface 30 has pushed the bar allthe way up the incline 40 so that the bar falls down upon the inclinel0. of the rail 11 as shown in Fig. 7 The rail 11' then moves in thereverse direction, that is, rearwardly and downwardly. In this movementthe bar A is brought against the engaging surface 31 of the rail 11. Thebar is held against rearward movement by the engaging surface 31, whilethe incline 40 of the rail 11 slides under the bar as shown in Fig. 8.The rearward and downward movement of the rail 11 continues until theincline L0 has passed entirely under the bar A, permitting the bar A tofall down upon the incline 41 of the rail 11, as shown in Fig. 9. It isthus seen that one complete reciprocation of the movable rail 11 hasserved to move the bar A from a position against the engaging surface 30of the fixed rail 11 to a position against the succeeding engagingsurface 31 of the fixed rail. It is thus apparent that continuedreciprocation of the rail 11 will carry the bar A forward step by stepalong the fixed rail 11.

From the above description of the operation of the feeding mechanism itis apparent that the forward movement of the bar results from therelative reciprocatory movement of the rails which may, of course, beattained by reciprocating either of them while retaining the otherstationary, or by giving each a reciprocatory movement so timed that theforward stroke of one rail corresponds to the rearward stroke of theother.

Among the advantages of this feeding mechanism when applied to a heatingfurnace are the following: The only moving parts within the furnace areportions of the reciprocatory rails 11, 12, so that lubrication withinthe furnace is not required. The power consumption of thedevice is smallas it is necessary merely to give a short reciprecatory movement to themoving rails. A portion of the rails is retained outside the furnace,while the portion of the rails within the furnace is not moved out ofthe furnace, so that no part of the rails is subjected to changes oftemperature which would cause the material of which they are made todeteriorate. The feeding mechanism is, therefore, greatly superior to amoving conveyer which, because it possesses none of the advantages aboveenumerated, has been found unsatisfactory as a means for feedingarticles through a heating furnace.

The feeding mechanism has been found in practice to possess anotheradvantage of great importance. This is its ability to sort out articlessuch as bars from a mass and to move the bars forward individually. Ithas been found that if a mass of bars be piled upon any part of therails in such a way as to lie across the rails, the mass of bars remainsstationary while individual bars are withdrawn from the bottom of themass and moved forward one by one along the rails. This occurs eventhough no means for sup porting the mass of bars other than the railsthemselves is provided. The ability of the device to sort out individualbars from the mass is a great practical advantage, since it makes itpossible simply to dump the bars to be fed through the furnace upon therear end of the rails (the left-hand end in Figs. 1 and E2), and thuseliminates the labor or mechanical contrivances which have heretoforebeen necessary to deliver the bars to the feeding mechanism one at atime.

It should be clearly UIIdBISbOOCl, however, that the utility of thefeeding mechanism is by no means limited to its use in connection withfurnaces, as it iscapable of use whenever it is desired to conveyarticles.

Furthermore, as pointed out in the course of the description it is notessential that the operative surfaces of the rails have precisely theform illustrated, nor that the relative reciprocatory movement of therails be in the exact direction provided in the form illustrated.

The use of the word rails in referring to the relatively reciprocatorylongitudinal members is not intended to imply that each of these membersneed consist of a single piece of metal. It is apparent that where oneof the longitudinal members is stationary this stationary member may beconstructed of separate pieces of metal forming the successive engagingsurfaces and inclines and that these pieces of metal may even be spacedfrom one another. Such an arrangement is, however, equivalent to thetype of longitudinal member shown in the drawings and should beunderstood to be included in the term rail. If desired, the movablelongitudinal members may be made of separate sections attached togetherand if the members are of great length, such sectional construction isadvantageous in reducing warping. Such sectional construction should beunderstood to be included in the term rail.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. hlechanism for moving an article, co1nprising two rails, each havingan operative surface comprising a series of spaced engaging surfacesapproximately perpendicular to the rail and adapted to prevent rearwardmovement of the article relative to the rail and a series of rcarwardlysloping surfaces alternating with said engaging surfaces materiallygreater in length than said engaging surfaces and inclined to the railat an angle materially less than 45, said rearwardly sloping surfacesbeing adapted to permit relative rearward movement of the rail withrespect to the article, and means for causing between the rails relativereciprocatory movement having a large component longitudinal of therails and a small component transverse to the rails.

2. Mechanism for moving an. article, conr prising two horizontal rails,each having an operative surface comprising a series of approximatelyvertical spaced engaging sur faces adapted to prevent rearward move mentof the article relative to the rail and a series of rearwardly slopingsurfaces alternating with said engaging surfaces mm terially longer thansaid engaging surfaces and inclined to the horizontal at an anglematerially less than K)", said rcarwardly sloping surfaces being adaptedto permit relative rearward movement of the rail with respect to thearticle, and means for causing between said rails a relativereciprocatory movement having a large horizontal component and a smallvertical component.

3. Mechanism for moving an article, comprising two rails, each having anoperative surface comprising a series of parallel rearwardlyslopingsurfaces inclined to the rail at an angle materially less than 45and a series of engaging surfaces alternatingwith said rearwardlyinclined surfaces approximately perpendicular to the rail and materiallyshorter than said rearwardly inclined surfaces, and means for causingbetween said. rails a relative reciprocatory movement in a straight lineparallel to the rcarwardly inclined surfaces of the rails.

l. Mechanism for moving an article, comprising two rails,,each having anoperative surface comprising a series of spaced engaging surfacestransverse to the rail and a series of parallel rearwardly slopinginclines alternating with said engaging surfaces, and means for causingbetween said rails a relative 'reciprocatory movement in a straight lineparallel to the inclines of the rails.

5. Mechanism for moving an article, comprising a fixed rail and amovable rail each having an operative surface formed to provide a seriesof spaced engaging surfaces and a series of parallel rearwardly slopinginclines alternating with said engaging surfaces, a plurality ofsupports for said movable rail each having a bearing surface sub--stantially parallel to said inclines, said movable rail being providedwith a plurality of bearing surfaces substantially parallel to saidinclined bearing surfaces of the sup port and resting thereon, andoperating means adapted to give to said movable rail a longitudinalreciprocatory movement the stroke of which is not less than the distancebetween any two successive engaging surfaces.

6. Feed mechanism for moving articles into, through and out of afurnace, con iprising a fixed rail extending through the furnace andprojecting from each end thereof, a movablecontinuous rail parallel tosaid first-mentioned rail extending through the furnace and projectingfrom each end thereof, a mounting for said movable rail permitting areciprocatory movement thereof in a direction inclined to the rail, andmechanism located outside the furnace and connectedto one of theprojecting ends of said movable rail for giving it a reciprocatorymovement, said rails having operative surfaces adapted to engage thearticles and cause a step by step forward movement of the articles alongthe rails as the movable rail reciprocates.

7. Feed mechanism for moving articles into, through and out of afurnace, compri ing parallelrails extending through the furnace andprojecting from each end thereof, one of said rails-being fixed and theother slidably mounted, supporting bearings for said slidably mountedrail inclined to the rail, and mechanism located outside said furnacefor giving to the slidably mounted rail a longitudinal reciprocatorymovement, the stroke of which is short with respect to the length of therails, said rails having operative surfaces comprising a series oftransverse engaging surfaces and a series of parallel rearwardly slopinginclines alternating with said engaging surfaces and substantiallyparallel with the bearing surfaces on which said slidably mounted railis mounted.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR W. PETERS.

\Vitne'sses Rona, F. CoNLnr, Marsrn lWAURUS.

